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All about Weddings

Chat to us about weddings at Emdoneni! Contact us on office@emdonenilodge.com | +27 (0)35 562-7000 / 7001 8 Tips for feeling your best on your wedding Day You’ve put all your time and energy into making sure every detail is perfect and everyone involved is happy, so now it’s time to make sure you’re feeling your best for your wedding day! With the rush of decisions and coordination, self-care might have dropped down on your to-do list, so let this be the reminder you need to put it back on top. Planning ahead for things you can do in the days/weeks leading up to your wedding and scheduling time for things that make you feel good on your actual wedding day is key. These are our favorite bridal self-care tips to help keep your energy up and keep your mental and physical stress down so you can enjoy your wedding day to the fullest! 1. TRY ON YOUR FULL LOOK AHEAD OF TIME You will have enough details to think about the morning of your wedding, but wondering whether your bridal look is everything you’ve dreamed of shouldn’t be one of them! That’s why you should try on your full look — dress, hair, makeup, and accessories — well before the wedding day. Take it from women who have been there, you’ll feel so much better knowing that all the accessories you bought coordinate perfectly, the hairstyle you saw on Pinterest really is that pretty in real life, and your makeup flawlessly ties everything together. If you’re getting bridal portraits done, you have the perfect reason to try on your full look (and the added bonus of seeing it on camera). If you’re not getting bridal portraits done, schedule a girls’ dinner for that evening so you can wear the makeup and/or hairstyle out at least once! 2. GET ENOUGH SLEEP THE ENTIRE WEEK A lot of people tell brides to make sure they get enough sleep the night before their wedding, but we all know one night of good sleep isn’t enough to make you feel your absolute best. Most of us take at least two days to recover from one night of poor sleep, so make it a goal to get 8 hours of sleep every night for the entire week before your wedding. Yes, that’s much easier said than done, but it’s important for your nervous system to have adequate time to rest, especially with the added stress of wedding planning. If you’re having trouble shutting off your brain, spritz some essential oils, like lavender or chamomile, on your pillow or do some pre-sleep yoga. You’ll have plenty of time to not sleep on your honeymoon, so indulge in some quality beauty rest as much as possible before the wedding. 3. STAY HYDRATED The general rule is that you should drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day. It helps keep your energy up and gives your skin a gorgeous glow. Plus, it keeps your metabolism firing all day and decreases bloating, so you’ll feel as good on the inside as you look on the outside. If you’re dehydrated, your body has to fight both the physical stress of dehydration and any emotional stress you might feel on your wedding day, which will make it harder to be fully present. So, keep a water bottle handy and ask your MOH to check that it is full all day long. If you want some stylish motivation to drink up, grab one of these super cute bottles for yourself — and maybe for your bridesmaids, too! 4. GET MOVING WITH A QUICK YOGA SESSION Before you pop the bubbly with your girls, head to a local yoga studio for a quick sweat sesh! You’ll get the double benefit of relieving any last-minute stress and releasing endorphins so you’ll be feeling (and looking) happy all day long. We recommend going for a gentle flow class that to get a good stretch and get the blood moving and leaving the cardio-heavy, power-style yoga for another time. You just want to sweat, you don’t want to be exhausted or sore! If you can’t find a class time that works for you, there are tons of free yoga videos on YouTube that you can do in the privacy of your getting ready space. 5. STICK TO YOUR NORMAL BEAUTY ROUTINE The night before or the morning of your wedding is not the time to try out a new beauty routine, such as a face mask you saw on Instagram or a new shape for your eyebrows. If you want to experiment with new products, buy and try them at least two weeks before the wedding so you’ll have plenty of time to see how your skin reacts. We are all in favor of getting your skin to look its best for your wedding, but there would be nothing worse than trying something new the night before and waking up with undesirable results. So, give yourself time to find what makes your skin look best and stick to that all the way up through the wedding day. 6. EAT PROTEIN FOR BREAKFAST You’re going to need a ton of energy to make it all the way to your send-off moment, so set yourself up for success with breakfast that includes lean protein, healthy carbs, fruits, and veggies. Protein, especially, will keep you full and energized and will help keep your blood sugar from crashing if you want to indulge in champagne and sweet treats while you’re getting ready. For a super quick and simple breakfast option, blend up protein smoothies with frozen fruits, greens, milk, and protein powder for you and your girls. Or, opt for a heartier meal like an egg scramble with sauteed veggies and a side of yogurt with fruit. No matter how busy your morning gets, do not skip breakfast and do not leave your options up to chance. Your mom wasn’t joking when she said that breakfast is the

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Emdoneni News

Zulu Wedding – Umabo

It’s almost wedding season and we love this time of the year! Living in Kwa Zulu Natal makes the Zulu culture extra special to us and we would love to share how the Zulu traditions apply to when it comes to a wedding. As with most cultures there are different stages in a Zulu wedding. In western society there will traditionally be an engagement, followed by a kitchen tea or hens party, the infamous bulls party, and finally the wedding. A traditional Zulu wedding is quite different, but also has distinctive stages, with the first being the payment of lobola, something that’s the subject of great debate these days. Once lobola has been paid izibizo will follow, where gifts are given to the bride’s family, followed by umbondo where the bride reciprocates by buying groceries for the groom’s family, and finally the actual wedding or umabo. A Zulu bride covered in a blanket, carrying an assegai The traditional Zulu wedding always takes place at the family home of the groom. The bride will leave her home early in the morning, covered in a blanket given to her by her mother. The bride’s father leads her to her new family home, and she is advised not to look back, so as not to invite bad luck. The bride’s father will call out the family’s clan names, telling the ancestors that his daughter is officially leaving home to join another family. On arrival at the groom’s house the bride must walk around the house so as to be introduced to her hsuband’s ancestors, before entering the home through the kitchen while nobody is noticing her – the groom’s family will pay a penalty for not being aware of the bride – they should have gone to fetch her. The bride’s family also comes early in the morning, with the wedding ceremony starting at around midday. A Zulu bride sitting on her grass mat The groom buys two cows which are slaughtered and eaten on the day of the ceremony. He also buys a goat that is slaughtered after the head of the family has spoken. The father of the groom opens the ceremony by welcoming his new daughter, with the bride’s father also saying some words, as a sign that he approves of the union. After the ceremony there is dancing and food. While gifts and money are given to the bride’s family prior to the wedding, on the day of the umabo it is the turn of the bride to give the gifts. The exchange of gifts symbolises the forming of a new bond between the two families. The bride’s family buys grass mats, blankets for the women, beer pots for the men, as well as some pieces of furniture and brooms, which are given out to guests at the wedding by the bridesmaids and sisters of the bride. The bride sits on a grass mat, and refrains from talking or looking at anyone out of respect, while her bridesmaids hand out the gifts. The names of the various people receiving the gifts are called out one by one. The wedding guests will lie on the grass mats, before being covered with a blanket by a family member from the bride’s side. They then sing and dance as a sign of appreciation for the gifts. Older women are called first, followed by the groom’s sisters, and finally the men. The groom is the last person to be called. A Zulu bride laying out grass mats for her husband to walk on After the groom has been called the bride gets up, makes up a mock bed and goes to look for her husband. When she finds him, she will place grass mats on the floor leading to the bed, where the groom will sit down. The bride takes a basin with a towel and soap and washes the groom’s feet. She then pulls back the bed covers for the groom to lie down. As part of the drama the bridesmaids and other young ladies from the bride’s side hit the groom with small sticks, after which the groom runs away. Umabo is a very important ritual in Zulu culture. Some people believe that a person is not properly married until they’ve carried out the ritual of umabo. For this reason couples who experience difficulties in their relationships, or struggle to have children, will sometimes go through the process of umabo years after they first got together, as a way of appeasing the ancestors – it is only through umabo that the ancestors will recognise the union. Source: ulwaziprogramme.org

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Emdoneni News

Weddings at Emdoneni Lodge

If you have ever dreamt of a true African wedding, walking down a grassy aisle with African wildlife grazing in the background, then this is possible at Emdoneni Lodge with Cheetah Project, where even a cheetah may pose with you for a photograph! For added convenience, it is just a short walk from the aisle at the ceremony to your reception and to our comfortable accommodation options. It is advisable to confirm your reception well in advance as events such as weddings take a lot of planning. Tailor-made packages are available on request and your own unique wedding can be individually designed for you by our in-house wedding co-coordinator. Our wedding co-ordinator has many years of experience and intimate knowledge of suppliers and service providers in the area. We can advise or facilitate the appointment and management of services ranging from priests, music, flowers, decor, printing, lighting and many others, along with activities that your guests may enjoy at their leisure. Not only is this a great cost saving option, but it also reduces the organisation required and enhances the probability of greater success and enjoyment for all. Our air conditioned restaurant can seat up to 70 guests. If the Restaurant is chosen as the reception venue, only the buffet menu option is available. Our boma venue is perfect for the bridal couple seeking something a little less western. The Boma has an ethnic, intimate African feel to it and can seat up to 70 guests. Wedding Packages We pride ourselves on catering for your individual requirements and will assist you to make your dreams come true. Please contact us for details about our Wedding Packages, including: -the venue and the services included -additional services which are available -menu options The Wedding Night Enjoy your first night as a married couple (or stay as long as you wish) in our Windfall Cottage, an exclusive room which offers you all the comfort you can wish for. The focal point of the bathroom is the outside shower in a small boma bush garden. The essence of relaxation is to gaze from your bath into the garden and surrounding bush.

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